416 DR. G. HARTLAUB ON A NEW SALPORNIS. [June 17, 



species under the name of Hulypsornis salvadori, Salpornis spilo- 

 nota, being extremely scarce in continental collections, and, lor instance, 

 not existing in the splendid Museums of Paris, Leyden, Brussels, 

 Vienna, Berlin, Dresden, and Stuttgart, had very probably remained 

 entirely unknown to him, and for this reason the error into which 

 he fell is to be excused. 1 have now the pleasure of introducing a 

 third typical species, which was discovered near Langomeri, in 

 Eastern Equatorial Africa, by the eminent exi^lorer. Dr. Emin Bey, 

 and of which the unique specimen, a fine adult male, enriches, at 

 present, my private collection. As the life of my poor friend, who 

 may still linger in his remote quarters on the Upper W bite Nile, is at 

 this moment surrounded by tbe greatest possible dangers, and as no 

 news whatever of him have of late reached us, I think it my duty to 

 name this fine new bird after its discoverer. 



Regarding this unique specimen. Dr. Emin Bey writes :• — -" During 

 a walk through the ripe Eleusine-fields, a small bird met my attention 

 climbing up and down the haulms, and flying in short whips from one 

 haulm to another. What could it be? Not a A^ecfamn'a to be sure. 

 The little unknown was very silent. But how great was my pleasure 

 and surprise as my shot brought down a ' Certhia,' certainly the 

 first bird of this group met with in Central Africa. All my efforts 

 to procure more specimens were fruitless." 



Salpornis emini and Salpornis salvadorii are nearly allied species. 

 The system or the pattern of coloration is quite the same in both 

 birds. The differences are these : the drop-like spots of the upper 

 parts are much larger in 5. salvadorii (of which a fine adult pair 

 was presented to the Bremen Museum by Prof. Barboza du Bocage); 

 the irregular bands of the rectrices are very broad and nearly black 

 in S. salvadorii, narrower and browner in S. emini ; the irregular 

 ■white spot-like bands are also decidedly broader in S. salvadorii ; in 

 S. emini the first primary has the basal half of the inner web with a 

 whitish serrated marginal lining, whereas in S. salvadorii there are 

 regular circumscribed marginal spots ; in the other primaries the 

 whitish marginal spots on tbe basal half of the inner web are very 

 conspicuous and sharply circumscribed in S. salvado7-ii — they are 

 much smaller and more confluent in S. emini ; the ground-colour 

 of the remiges and rectrices is nearly black in (S. salvadorii, paler 

 and browner in S. emini ; the drop-like spots of the underparts are 

 much smaller and less distinct in S. emini. In both species the 

 rounded terminal whitish spots of the single feathers are anteriorly 

 margined by a broad black band or border. The ground-colour of 

 the underparts is in both species a pale greyish drab. 



The difference between S. emini and the Indian S. sjnlonota is 

 much greater, and strikes one at first sight. The whitish spots of 

 the uj)per parts are smaller, less drop-like, and of a more irregular 

 shape. There is a short, broad, white superciHary stripe, bordered 

 below by a blackish postocular band ; and the underparts are con- 

 spicuously more banded than spotted. The internal marginal spots 

 of the primaries are as sharply defined as in S. salvadorii. 



1 add the comparative measurements of the three species : — 



